Last Saturday, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles hosted its 27th annual Día de los Muertos celebration, drawing tens of thousands of attendees for what has become the largest observance of the holiday outside of Mexico. The event continues a longstanding Los Angeles tradition rooted in the cultural revival initiated by the Eastside nonprofit Self Help Graphics & Art, which first organized a public Día de los Muertos event in 1972.
While the traditional dates for Día de los Muertos are November 1 and 2 in Mexico and other Latin American countries, Southern California’s celebration extends throughout October, overlapping with the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage Month. Both observances share deep connections to the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s, when Latino communities in the United States intensified efforts to embrace their heritage and advocate for social justice.
The core focus of the event remains the honoring of deceased loved ones and the celebration of life. More than 100 families participate annually, setting up altars, or ofrendas, among the cemetery’s grounds. These displays are often constructed over several days, guided each year by a thematic prompt. The 2026 theme, “All Under One Sky,” reflects on shared human experiences of separation, grief, and the universal need for compassion.
Among the participants was Diana Suazo, a South Gate resident originally from Honduras, who has been creating altars at Hollywood Forever for the past six years. Suazo emphasized the theme’s reference to suffering without borders, connecting it to the immigrant experience. Her altar featured the phrase “land of immigrants” alongside photographs of relatives, symbolizing resistance to feelings of displacement intensified by recent immigration policies. Despite initial concerns from her community over fears related to immigration enforcement, Suazo chose to participate to affirm the enduring presence and legacy of those lost.
Another notable display was created by Victoria Jean Cruz Jimenez, a tattoo artist who has contributed to the event since 2015. Her altar honors her late sister, father, nephew, and other family members, incorporating traditional elements like papel picado banners and marigold pathways. Cruz Jimenez described the papel picado as symbolic of an invisible connection between the living and the departed and chose to keep her altar silent this year to emphasize natural sounds, such as the wind, as a means of spiritual communication.
The event also featured an Indigenous-inspired dance parade, which passed by the altar of Pomona resident Lorena Silva and her family. This year marked the first time Silva and her sisters created their own altar separately from their aunt’s for a deceased sibling. Silva’s altar included personal mementos such as favorite snacks, celebrating the individual lives lost amid multiple family tragedies.
Silva, who was introduced to the full tradition of Día de los Muertos through her husband, noted the healing power of collective mourning provided by the event. She highlighted the importance of community in managing grief and in transmitting cultural pride to younger generations.
The Hollywood Forever Día de los Muertos event continues to serve as a meaningful cultural expression and a space for families and communities to honor their histories, confront loss, and celebrate their shared heritage in the heart of Los Angeles.